Smashburger, Saint Arnold mix and match

The heads of two fast-growing brands, craft brewery Saint Arnold and burger chain Smashburger, got together last week to sample beers and beef — with results worth savoring.

David Prokupek, CEO of Denver-based Smashburger, which has 11 restaurants in the Houston area and plans to open four more by year’s end, was in town to put the finishing touches on a plan to increase the number of local beers it offers and to promote certain Saint Arnold beers with specific burgers on the menu.

Once he and Brock Wagner, who founded Houston’s Saint Arnold in 1994, were seated at the Galleria location, the burger plates came flying out of the kitchen.

“The industry you’re in is on fire,” Prokupek said to Wagner, by way of explanation. “Beer is the new wine.”

That’s hardly news to Wagner, whose brewery has been growing at rates well into double-digits for the past several years.

But even with a palate that’s been honed over the past 18 years building the brewery, Wagner admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect when pairing his beers with the beefy burgers from Smash.

“What you’ll find is,” he said, “what you think will work — it’s OK.”

Above all, Wagner stressed to those present, there is no right or wrong way to mix and match, regardless of what you find on your plate. His opinion may be expert, but the choice always lies with the person doing the eating and drinking.

No surprise, though, there were a few surprises.

First up, the mushroom Swiss burger: The Weedwacker didn’t fare as well as might be expected, but there was consensus about Saint Arnold Brown, a brown ale.

“The maltiness you get in that beer worked well with the meat,” said Wagner.

Next up: spicy Baja, with pepper jack cheese and guacamole: It’s a bold burger, and Prokupek felt the Weedwacker did a good job of cleansing the palate and letting him get back to the burger.

Ambrose preferred the bigger Endeavour double IPA but leaned toward the Amber. Wagner went back to Weedwacker several times, but said he couldn’t put his finger on why it worked so well as a pairing. Ultimately, his vote went to Santo.

“It pulled a flavor out of the burger that I didn’t get until I had the Santo,” he said.

The Texas burger, with mustard and American cheese: “People have a hankering for mustard here,” Prokupek told the group.

There was a split from the Saint Arnold pros on the best beer for washing it down. Wagner liked the Amber and found Weedwacker a “comically bad” choice. Ambrose went for Santo.

(As an aside, it should be noted that the Brown went at least pretty well with every course that came out of the kitchen. It’s definitely something to keep in mind in times of indecision.)

BBQ, bacon & cheddar: A sweet burger that Prokupek thought was best accented by the bitter IPA.

Ambrose agreed that the Endeavour really stood up to the strong flavors given off by the applewood smoked bacon and the tangy barbecue sauce.

Next (and, please, try to imagine the meat fatigue that was beginning to set in for the tasters) was the Classic, with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, onion and pickles: Amber, Brown, Santo — all three worked well with this traditional burger.

Finally, the spinach and goat cheese chicken sandwich: Wagner and Ambrose preferred the Lawnmower and the Weedwacker.

But it’s OK if you prefer, say, the Endeavour. Perhaps it’s your favorite beer of those on the table and this particular sandwich happens to boast your favorite flavors among all the samples that preceded it. As Wagner stressed, the choice doesn’t lie with the experts.

“What I tell people is, there’s no ONE way to enjoy it,” he said. “You are right.”

“Beer is the new wine”!!! You GOTTA be kidding! Beer is BEER and it has been around for 10,000 years or so… It has been a staple for all those “civilizations” that came before your small little restraunt! In your small little mind you think(?) it is some “new fad” that only the hipsters like you have “discovered”. SAD!